Written Answers Wednesday 23 March 2005

Scottish Executive

Dyslexia

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many schoolchildren have been diagnosed with dyslexia in each of the last five years.

Peter Peacock: The number of schoolchildren diagnosed with dyslexia in each of the last five years is not held centrally.

  However, we do collect statistics on those with specific learning difficulties, which includes dyslexia, where children have a record of needs (RoN) (1999-2001) or a record of needs and/or an individualised educational programme (IEN) (2002-03). These figures are provided in the table.

  

School Census Year
No. of pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties
Method of Recording


2003
6,377
RoN and/or IEP


2002
4,909
RoN and/or IEP


2001
1,445
RoN


2000
1,542
RoN


1999
1,389
RoN

Dyslexia

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many teachers are trained in the awareness of dyslexia.

Peter Peacock: The numbers of teachers trained in the awareness of dyslexia is not held centrally.

  The early identification of dyslexia is a priority area. The Executive provides £7.2 million to local authorities for the training and development of teaching and support staff working with pupils with additional support needs, including dyslexia.

  In addition, over the period 2002-05, voluntary organisations have been awarded £335,000 to produce dyslexia specific training materials. This includes Count Me In, a teaching pack which provides a range of tools and materials to assist teachers with the identification of dyslexia. Dyslexia Scotland has also been awarded £100,000 for 2005-07 to improve good practice across schools in relation to dyslexia.

Education

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (Ind): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, S1 and S2 English and mathematics classes have 30 or more pupils, broken down by local authority area.

Peter Peacock: I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-11142 on 15 November 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament/webapp/wa.search .

General Practitioners

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GPs are currently eligible for retirement at 60 and, of these, how many could retire in each of the next three years, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: The table shows the number of GPs in post who are aged 60 and over at 21 February 2005, together with the additional GPs who will reach the age of 60 at 21 February in each of the following three years 2006-08. This information is shown for Scotland and by individual NHS board.

  GPs aged 60 and Over in the Years 2005 - 2008: by NHS Board Area

  

 
GPs Aged 60 and Over
Additional GPs who Reach Age 60 in the Years:









Year
2005
2006
2007
2008


Scotland
150
58
77
89


Argyll and Clyde
19
7
3
9


Ayrshire and Arran 
8
4
7
7


Borders
1
1
5
3


Dumfries and Galloway
3
1
-
3


Fife
7
3
5
4


Forth Valley
5
4
5
5


Grampian
7
3
9
9


Greater Glasgow
36
7
11
13


Highland
9
5
5
6


Lanarkshire
19
5
11
7


Lothian
19
8
10
14


Orkney
3
1
-
1


Shetland
2
-
-
1


Tayside
9
9
5
7


Western Isles
3
-
1
-



  Source: General Medical Practitioner database, ISD Scotland.

  Ref: IR2005-00558 – 23 February 2005.

  The requirements with which general medical practitioners must comply are set out in the NHS (Primary Medical Services Performers lists) (Scotland) Regulations 2004. They do not specify an age for retirement.

  The terms of the NHS pension scheme in Scotland allow for members to retire from pensionable employment at any time on or after attaining age 60, with entitlement to a normal retirement pension. This arrangement includes those members who are general practitioners.

  The new GMS contract, introduced on 1 April 2004, includes specific incentives to help fill vacancies which occur. To achieve this, the contract allows GPs to manage their workloads better. Perhaps the biggest disincentive to attracting GPs into general practice was onerous out-of-hours commitments, particularly in remote and rural areas. Under the terms of the new contract GPs can now transfer this responsibility to NHS boards.

  The new contract also included enhanced seniority payments for GPs.

Land

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is aware of any circumstances where, following a crofting community buy-out, the previous landlord has retained significant land rights such as the control of wind farms and the benefits from these developments.

Lewis Macdonald: No. There have been no purchases of land through use of the crofting community right to buy. All completed acquisitions of croft land by community interests have been by agreement after the land was offered for sale. Where crofting communities acquired land by negotiation they acquired what was for sale. Insofar as information about what was purchased in these private transactions is available it will be on the public record in either the Register of Sasines or the Land Register. Access to that information will be available on payment of the relevant search fees. Alternatively, the information may be available directly from the community body in question.

Nutrition

Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve healthy eating in schools.

Euan Robson: Scotland is in the vanguard of improving food in schools. Through the Hungry for Success programme, local authorities have been awarded substantial funding to improve significantly the school meals service in Scotland. Authorities have introduced many new healthier products into their menu planning and are incorporating lower salt and lower fat products into their recipes in line with new nutrient-based standards for school meals. We are very encouraged by the energy and enthusiasm local authorities are showing in their implementation of Hungry for Success.

Pre-School Education

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many children in Clydesdale benefit from a free nursery place.

Euan Robson: One thousand, five hundred and six children attended pre-school education in Clydesdale in January 2004, the latest date for which figures are available.

Prison Service

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive when the two new prisons at Addiewell and Low Moss will be opened.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  The opening date of the new prison at Addiewell will be determined by the procurement process, which is currently underway.

  Subject to planning permission being gained, the Scottish Prison Service plans to establish a new prison on the site of HM Prison Low Moss. The timescale will be determined by the planning process, which is currently underway, and by the subsequent procurement process.

Prison Service

Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether both new prisons at Addiewell and Low Moss will be privately operated.

Cathy Jamieson: I have asked Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. His response is as follows:

  I refer the member to the answer to question S2W-11262 on 28 October 2004. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.